Warning to youths who have been switching off engines on Doncaster buses

On May 26, we were called out to reports of criminal damage to a bus on Princess Avenue, in Stainforth, caused by a slingshot. The slingshot was seized and enquiries are taking place.

But we have also received reports recently about youths who have been going up to buses in that area and switching off their engines, from outside the vehicle.

This is resulting in buses having to stop and wait until someone comes out to restart them.

We have had a few reports of this and it is a problem we are working to get to the bottom of.

Drivers have told us is has been a problem on Princess Avenue and on the New Park estate. We are asking the bus operators to report it to us every time it happens.

Of course most buses have CCTV cameras on board, so what the youths who are doing this may not know is that we should be able to identify them from those pictures.

Stainforth was the also the scene of an arrest of a man who failed to stop his quad bike when requested, on East Lane. He tried to take it off road, but got stuck, and was arrested for failing to stop and disqualified driving.

We also continue to have a presence on the Willow Estate in Thorne, were there has been an ongoing issue with antisocial behaviour.

This week, we have been working with British Transport Police and carried out three raids on Tuesday, June 1 in a joint operation.

One of the raids was on a property on Crabtree Road, Dunscroft, where we arrested a man and seized a taser.

We also raided land nearby, under a separate warrant, finding some engines and a roll of electrical cable.

A third raid took place on a caravan site at Clay Lane, athough nothing was found there.

Finally, as temperatures rise, we will be keeping an eye on waterways in the area including canals and quarries. We want to avoid any tragedies, having recently heard of a drowning in Rotherham. Out thoughts are with the family.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Liam Hoden, editor.